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Spain's collective-bargaining wages rise 3.1%, nearly two points below inflation

Pay under collective agreements in Spain is up 3.1% this year, almost two points behind inflation, wiping out the purchasing power regained since 2023.

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Office workers walking along a busy street in Madrid during the morning commute.
Image: El País

If your pay is set by a collective agreement (a wage deal negotiated between unions and employers), your payslip may feel a bit lighter than it should. Wages covered by these agreements in Spain are rising 3.1% so far this year. Inflation is running almost two points higher.

That gap has a clear consequence. The loss of purchasing power this year already exceeds everything workers managed to recover between 2023 and 2025.

A quick look back

In May 2023, employers' groups CEOE and Cepyme and the unions CCOO and UGT signed the V AENC, a national agreement on employment and collective bargaining. It recommended wage rises of 4% in 2023, 3% in 2024 and 3% in 2025.

This year's 3.1% is in the same range as those recommendations. But prices have moved faster, so the money buys less than it did before.

#spain#wages#inflation#collective bargaining#purchasing power
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Spain collective-bargaining wages lag inflation · 2 updates

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  1. Spain's social partners sign V AENC wage deal recommending 4%, 3% and 3% rises
  2. Spain's collective-bargaining wages rise 3.1%, nearly two points below inflation

What happened before and after this story. Background events not previously covered were summarised by AI.

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